A showdown is looming between the Zimbabwe Congress of Trade Unions (ZCTU) and its membership over the labour representative body’s decision to join MDC-Alliance ahead of the embattled party’s crunch congress next month to elect new leadership, The Herald has learnt.

The turmoil brewing in the labour body comes after MDC-Alliance resolved at its national standing committee (NSC) meeting to allot a quota of posts to the trade union.
The resolution irked the trade union’s general council members, who expressed alarm over conspiracies by the ZCTU leadership to conflate labour and opposition politics.

According to documents gleaned by The Herald, ZCTU president Mr Peter Mutasa and secretary-general Mr Japhet Moyo are being accused of abusing their authority by unilaterally forcing the labour body to join opposition politics.

Mr Mutasa reportedly wrote to MDC-Alliance leader Mr Nelson Chamisa, formalising the request for the allocation of a quota of posts in the opposition party.
“The request was discussed and approved during the MDC NSC meeting which was held at the Morgan Richard Tsvangirai House on 5 April 2019,” reads the document.State media